Josh Willingham disgruntled

[coachw513]

Per Nationals website:

Willingham airs playing time issues
Outfielder expresses desire to be everyday player for Nats
By Bill Ladson / MLB.com

MIAMI -- Nationals left fielder Josh Willingham had a pleasant meeting with acting general manager Mike Rizzo recently in Miami to talk about his status with the club.
Willingham expressed his unhappiness about being on the bench, while Rizzo, in turn, told Willingham how much the organization respects him as a player. Willingham did not play in the first two games against the Marlins, but was able to receive a start on Wednesday afternoon at Dolphin Stadium.

"I can't tell you what he told me, but we were honest with each other. We got everything out on the table," Willingham said. "I know where he stands, he knows where I stand. I wanted to hear from him and he wanted to hear from me.

"[The meeting was about] the whole situation, how he feels about me as a player, all that stuff. That's what the meeting was about. It was good. We'll go from there."

When then-general manager Jim Bowden traded for Willingham last November, the plan was for Willingham to be the everyday left fielder. But that changed when the team signed free agent Adam Dunn this past February. Bowden thought he could trade Nick Johnson and put Dunn at first base, but Johnson is still on the team. Rizzo declined to be interviewed for this story.

"If you ask me if I would rather be playing -- yeah. What am I going to do?" Willingham said. "I'm not going to sit there and pout about it or anything. I'm just going to get ready and help the team."

Willingham has proven that he is more than a bench player. During Spring Training, he led the team in RBIs with the 13. During his career, Willingham has proven to be a Nationals nemesis, hitting .328 with 13 home runs and 33 RBIs against them.

Bill Ladson is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs

Is he worth acquiring??

[westofyou]

Josh Willingham, this generations Gus Zernial

[nate]

If one is happy with their playing time, are they "gruntled?"

[M2]

Originally Posted by westofyou

Josh Willingham, this generations Gus Zernial

Zernial was one of my dad's favorite players when he was a kid.

I notice that Bennie Agbayani is on Willingham's baseball-reference comp list. I'd say the Hawaiian Nightmare is a better equivalent than Zernial, who had enormous power. Hitting 'em out of Shibe was no small feat, especially for a RHB.

[westofyou]

Originally Posted by M2

Zernial was one of my dad's favorite players when he was a kid.

I notice that Bennie Agbayani is on Willingham's baseball-reference comp list. I'd say the Hawaiian Nightmare is a better equivalent than Zernial, who had enormous power. Hitting 'em out of Shibe was no small feat, especially for a RHB.

True, Gus is bigger power guy, but as for the type I see them as both being power guys, unappreciated and just a tad below getting that appreciation. I'm certain that guys like Gus were gruntled by certain things, as were the Wally Posts of the world.

[lollipopcurve]

Hitting 'em out of Shibe was no small feat, especially for a RHB.

Indian Bob Johnson was my dad's favorite player, speaking of Shibe sluggers.

[cincrazy]

I like Willingham. He has a pretty good OBP and decent power. But where would he play? Would he just platoon in left? Because I think he's good enough to be an every day player. But unless you platooned him with Dickerson there's nowhere to put him, with Taveras locked into center and obvious Bruce in right.

[redsfan4445]

love to see the Reds get him.. he would be a great addition to this team and he is disgruntled and a fire inside to prove the Nationals made a bad decision to not start him

[RedEye]

As many others have pointed out on other threads, this is the guy the Reds should have gotten this off season instead of Taveras. A Willingham-Dickerson-Bruce OF would be nice to watch for the next few years. Josh would fit right in with the young nucleus of the team--he could bat 4th or 5th and Dickerson could be the lead-off hitter.

*Sigh*

[Unassisted]

Originally Posted by redsfan4445

love to see the Reds get him.. he would be a great addition to this team and he is disgruntled and a fire inside to prove the Nationals made a bad decision to not start him

It's apparent from the article that in order for him not to be disgruntled, he needs to be handed a starting role. If he's picked up by the Reds, who does he start in place of?

[BCubb2003]

Originally Posted by nate

If one is happy with their playing time, are they "gruntled?"

Technically, "gruntle" means to complain, or grunt like a pig. Dis- in this case is not an opposite but an intensifier. "Disgruntled" means complaining like a pig, only more so. That meaning comes from the 16th century, but it was lost for many years. In the 1920s, P. G. Wodehouse used "gruntled" as the opposite of "disgruntled." He treated it as a backformation, like "burgled."

Maybe if Willingham came to the Reds, he would be degruntled ... but more likely ubergruntled.

[nate]

Originally Posted by BCubb2003

Technically, "gruntle" means to complain, or grunt like a pig. Dis- in this case is not an opposite but an intensifier. "Disgruntled" means complaining like a pig, only more so. That meaning comes from the 16th century, but it was lost for many years. In the 1920s, P. G. Wodehouse used "gruntled" as the opposite of "disgruntled." He treated it as a backformation, like "burgled."

Maybe if Willingham came to the Reds, he would be degruntled ... but more likely ubergruntled.

That's good to know. Maybe if we can get him down to "gruntled" we can turn him "ungruntled" or even "degruntle" him.

[flyer85]

Putting him in LF and Dickerson in CF would be a big step forward but I doubt there are not going to give up on Willy T anytime soon.

[wally post]

Originally Posted by westofyou

...I'm certain that guys like Gus were gruntled by certain things, as were the Wally Posts of the world.

Yep.

[Root Down]

This move seems like it would be a lateral one to me. I'd really like to see them add some power if anything to the lineup.